Vegetarian "Meat" Lasagna

This week, we were looking for some classic Italian food, but Italian food is typically categorized as a lot of tomato sauce, cheese, and dough. While that sounds delicious, it can be very heavy on the stomach, especially for the whole week. So, we decided to go with a lighter, yet equally satisfying, version of lasagna.

Although this is a vegetarian recipe, it can be easily adapted to include real meat to fit your appetite. But I have to say, the Gardein beefless ground texture was very similar to regular meat, and since it is smothered in sauce and cheese, you can't even taste the difference. I also appreciated the very simple ingredients that were in the Gardein "meat".

Part of this recipe is also inspired by the blog Veggie Monster for the use of tofu as a partial substitute to ricotta. Again, you can't even taste the tofu because it is such a minimal amount and is easily mixed with the ricotta, but if you're not into tofu, just use more ricotta.

 Also two more points, feel free to mix up the vegetables. We used broccoli, carrots, and onion (which somehow missed the picture), but spinach also works well. Second point, we used Tuttorosso Marinara, which is a decent sauce to mix into a baked dish. You can use another one if you have a preference, but make it a good one, not like Ragu. Our all time favorite sauce is Victoria's brand on pasta--not sure how it would turn out baked though.

Here are the ingredients and directions below. Enjoy!

Ingredients
-Whole wheat lasagna noodles
-1 carrot (or a handful of baby carrots)
-1/4 head of broccoli
-1 onion
-1/2 block firm tofu
-1/2-3/4 cup ricotta cheese
-1 egg
-1 tsp oregano
-1 tsp basil
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp onion powder
-1 tsp red pepper
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 cup Gardein beefless ground
-2 cans Tuttorosso marinara sauce
-1-1.5 cups mozzarella (or three cheese)

Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Open tofu package and drain water. Cut half of the tofu and place on a small dish. Place another dish on top and pile with some relatively heavy objects (I used the water pitcher). This will press the tofu. Press for about 20 minutes.
Fill a large pot with water for the pasta. Place on high heat to boil. Once boiling add lasagna noodles and cook for about 9 minutes (follow box instructions). Drain and set aside.
While that is going, dice your onion and chop your broccoli and carrots. Throw in a skillet and toss with olive oil. Cook on medium heat until onions are mostly cooked, about 10 minutes. Don't over cook. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes
At this point, drain the dish with the tofu. Crumble the tofu into a mixing bowl (I just used my hands). Add the ricotta cheese and a handful of the mozzarella and mix well. Then add the spices and egg and mix. Once the vegetables have cooled, add them to the mixture. Set mixture aside.
In a medium sauce pot, add the Tuttorosso sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Once simmering, add the Gardein. Cook for 3 minutes.
Take a 9x11 pan (either glass or aluminum) and coat the bottom with the sauce. Add a layer of the noodles--make sure you overlap them. Then add your cheese/veggie mixture. Next, add a layer of sauce, and then a layer of mozzarella cheese. You should be able to do another layer of noodles, ricotta, sauce, and cheese. Last add another layer of noodle, sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
 Place in the oven and cook for about 30-35 minutes.